Debris Flow Syndrome Injuries and Outcomes After the Montecito Debris Flow

In January 2018, a 30-foot debris flow inundated Montecito, CA, leading to dozens of injuries and 21 “prehospital deaths.” The authors examined 24 patients’ injury patterns, related procedures performed (and complications), length of stay, and outcomes. They defined “debris flow syndrome…as a pattern of injuries, including soft tissue injuries, hypothermia, craniofacial trauma, corneal abrasions, orthopedic injuries, and mud impaction.”